The Son of a King
by Tale4theRoad
Summary: What is the worst possible thing that could happen to Elvenking Thranduil? The death of his son. How Thranduil found out that his son joined the Fellowship.


**Disclaimer: **I don't have the brain capacity to own/create Lord of the Rings.

* * *

Watching his son gallop away in a company of elves, Thranduil felt his heart clench tightly. Legolas had made the journey to Rivendell countless times in the past, but something about the news he bore sent chills down the Elvenking's spine.

Ever since he had heard of his son's intentions to join the council, Thranduil had felt apprehension, even foreboding at times about his son's return. Knowing that voicing his fears to his son would do no good for anyone, the Elvenking kept his thoughts to himself. But now, as he watched his son leave for what could be his final adventure, Thranduil felt himself wishing that he had locked Legolas in his room and never let him leave.

Call it Father's Intuition if you will, but as soon as Legolas had left his sight, Thranduil knew that he had made a grave mistake sending his son away.

* * *

When the message came from Rivendell to inform the Elvenking of his son's choice to join the Fellowship to destroy the One Ring, Thranduil took the news in silence. When the messenger left him, he swept out of his throne room, trusting his feet to carry him for his mask was crumbling and his eyes were wet with tears.

Finding himself in Legolas's room, Thranduil collapsed on the floor, his body wracked with sobs while he uttered every prayer he could to the Valar for the protection of his son and his safe return home. He had lost his wife once; he could not lose his son now.

* * *

Moons waxed and waned and yet no news came of Legolas to the Realm of the Woodland Elves. Thranduil kept his fears to himself, hidden securely behind his kingly mask of strength and superiority. He would not let his personal feelings distract him while the woodland elves looked up to him to be their leader. But at night, when the stars were out and old memories drifted to the surface of the mind, Thranduil could not stop himself from thinking about his son. He remembered the day of Legolas's birth, of holding his son for the first time and looking into those eyes of blue and gray. Those same eyes that were so far away and across so much land, fighting the shadow.

The eyes that might be looking at those same stars and remembering home.

* * *

When the forces of Dol Guldur attacked Mirkwood in what would later be named the Battle Under the Trees, Thranduil himself led his army against the orcs and servants of Sauron. He battled with fervor, not for his people or his realm like most others, but for his son.

Thranduil fought and killed orcs so that Legolas wouldn't have to.

The Elvenking led his forces to defeat Sauron's so that the prince would have a better chance at succeeding in his mission. So when the enemies fell and retreated and the Elves stood victorious, Thranduil just prayed that the Valar would not take his son's life because they had spared his own.

* * *

Eryn Lasgalen, The Wood of Green Leaves. Most would think that the name was a tribute to Greenwood the Great. It wasn't. The name was Thranduil's eternal love for his son, Legolas. His Greenleaf. He refused to give up faith that his son would live to see the new age of the elves.

So Thranduil waited for news. He heard of the coronation of King Elessar, but could not bring himself to attend, lest he be told that his son had perished by a stranger.

When a guard whispered into his ear that a small party bearing the insignia of Gondor was spotted entering the forest, Thranduil slipped out of his meeting without excusing himself and rushed to the main bridge to await the company.

It was the glint of golden hair that drew Thranduil's breath away, but the smile on Legolas's face as he dismounted his horse made the Elvenking want to cry with joy. Running to his son, Thranduil was mindless of the dwarf in Legolas's company. All that mattered was that his son was home. Thranduil embraced him, pulling Legolas close, fearing that his son would dissolve before his eyes.

"You have come home, ion nin," Thranduil whispered in Legolas's ear before pressing a kiss to his son's brow and leading the company inside, all the while praising the Valar above for the safety and health of his child.

* * *

**Honestly? I don't know what happened here. One minute I was playing Minecraft. The next, I was reading the LotR Wiki page on Thranduil. (How can you not love him?) Suddenly, I was like, "Oxygen and Magnesium, how in Middle-Earth did Thranduil find out about/cope with Legolas joining the Fellowship?" And this was born.**

**Don't forget to leave a review. Thanks for reading! )**


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